World Cup 2010: artists performing during the opening ceremonyMartin Meissner/APThe 2010 World Cup marked the first time that the world’s most popular sporting competition was played on the African continent. In the 2004 Fédération Internationale de Football (FIFA) balloting to determine the 2010 host country, South Africa (which had narrowly lost out to Germany for the right to host the 2006 World Cup) was selected over bids from Morocco, Egypt, and Libya. To mark this momentous event, Britannica is pleased to present a selection of information on the World Cup and South Africa, including a survey of the World Cup field, a tournament schedule, an overview of the World Cup venues, sections on notable football players past and present, a brief history of the World Cup and international football, coverage of the 2006 World Cup, surveys of South Africa’s sporting and artistic cultures, and a timeline of significant events in the country’s history.

2010 World Cup Overview

The 2010 World Cup Field

The field of the 2010 World Cup is provided in the table.

2010 World Cup Field

Group A

South Africa • Previous World Cup appearances: 2 • Best finish: first round (1998 and 2002) • FIFA world ranking: 83 • How they qualified: host country

Mexico • Previous World Cup appearances: 13 • Best finish: quarterfinals (1970 and 1986) • FIFA world ranking: 17 • How they qualified: second place in CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) qualifying play

Uruguay • Previous World Cup appearances: 10 • Best finish: champions (1930 and 1950) • FIFA world ranking: 16 • How they qualified: fifth place in CONMEBOL (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) qualifying play; won a play-off against Costa Rica, the fourth-place team in CONCACAF

France • Previous World Cup appearances: 12 • Best finish: champions (1998) • FIFA world ranking: 9 • How they qualified: second place in UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Group Seven qualifying play; won a play-off against Ireland, the second-place team in UEFA Group Eight

Group B

Argentina • Previous World Cup appearances: 14 • Best finish: champions (1978 and 1986) • FIFA world ranking: 7 • How they qualified: fourth place in CONMEBOL qualifying play

Nigeria • Previous World Cup appearances: 3 • Best finish: second round (1994 and 1998) • FIFA world ranking: 21 • How they qualified: first place in CAF (Confédération Africaine de Football) Group B qualifying play

South Korea • Previous World Cup appearances: 7 • Best finish: fourth place (2002) • FIFA world ranking: 47 • How they qualified: first place in AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Group B qualifying play

Greece • Previous World Cup appearances: 1 • Best finish: first round (1994) • FIFA world ranking: 13 • How they qualified: second place in UEFA Group Two qualifying play; won a play-off against Ukraine, the second-place team in UEFA Group Six

Group C

England • Previous World Cup appearances: 12 • Best finish: champions (1966) • FIFA world ranking: 8 • How they qualified: first place in UEFA Group Six qualifying play

United States • Previous World Cup appearances: 8 • Best finish: third place (1930) • FIFA world ranking: 14 • How they qualified: first place in CONCACAF qualifying play

Algeria • Previous World Cup appearances: 2 • Best finish: first round (1982 and 1986) • FIFA world ranking: 30 • How they qualified: first place in CAF Group C qualifying play

Slovenia • Previous World Cup appearances: 1 • Best finish: first round (2002) • FIFA world ranking: 25 • How they qualified: second place in UEFA Group Three qualifying play; won a play-off against Russia, the second-place team in UEFA Group Four

Group D

Germany • Previous World Cup appearances: 16 • Best finish: champions (1954, 1974, and 1990) • FIFA world ranking: 6 • How they qualified: first place in UEFA Group Four qualifying play

Australia • Previous World Cup appearances: 2 • Best finish: second round (2006) • FIFA world ranking: 20 • How they qualified: first place in AFC Group A qualifying play

Serbia • Previous World Cup appearances: 0 • Best finish: N/A • FIFA world ranking: 15 • How they qualified: first place in UEFA Group Seven qualifying play

Ghana • Previous World Cup appearances: 1 • Best finish: second round (2006) • FIFA world ranking: 32 • How they qualified: first place in CAF Group D qualifying play

Group E

Netherlands • Previous World Cup appearances: 8 • Best finish: runners-up (1974 and 1978) • FIFA world ranking: 4 • How they qualified: first place in UEFA Group Nine qualifying play

Denmark • Previous World Cup appearances: 3 • Best finish: quarterfinals (1998) • FIFA world ranking: 36 • How they qualified: first place in UEFA Group One qualifying play

Japan • Previous World Cup appearances: 3 • Best finish: second round (2002) • FIFA world ranking: 45 • How they qualified: second place in AFC Group A qualifying play

Cameroon • Previous World Cup appearances: 5 • Best finish: quarterfinals (1990) • FIFA world ranking: 19 • How they qualified: first place in CAF Group A qualifying play

Group F

Italy • Previous World Cup appearances: 16 • Best finish: champions (1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006) • FIFA world ranking: 5 • How they qualified: first place in UEFA Group Eight qualifying play

Paraguay • Previous World Cup appearances: 7 • Best finish: second round (1986, 1998, and 2002) • FIFA world ranking: 31 • How they qualified: third place in CONMEBOL qualifying play

New Zealand • Previous World Cup appearances: 1 • Best finish: first round (1982) • FIFA world ranking: 78 • How they qualified: first place in OFC (Oceania Football Confederation) qualifying play; won a play-off against Bahrain, the fifth-place team in AFC

Slovakia • Previous World Cup appearances: 0 • Best finish: N/A • FIFA world ranking: 34 • How they qualified: first place in UEFA Group Three qualifying play

Group G

Brazil • Previous World Cup appearances: 18 • Best finish: champions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002) • FIFA world ranking: 1 • How they qualified: first place in CONMEBOL qualifying play

North Korea • Previous World Cup appearances: 1 • Best finish: quarterfinals (1966) • FIFA world ranking: 105 • How they qualified: second place in AFC Group B qualifying play

Côte d’Ivoire • Previous World Cup appearances: 1 • Best finish: first round (2006) • FIFA world ranking: 27 • How they qualified: first place in CAF Group E qualifying play

Portugal • Previous World Cup appearances: 4 • Best finish: third place (1966) • FIFA world ranking: 3 • How they qualified: second place in UEFA Group One qualifying play; won a play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina, the second-place team in UEFA Group Five

Group H

Spain • Previous World Cup appearances: 12 • Best finish: fourth place (1950) • FIFA world ranking: 2 • How they qualified: first place in UEFA Group Five qualifying play

Switzerland • Previous World Cup appearances: 8 • Best finish: quarterfinals (1934, 1938, and 1954) • FIFA world ranking: 24 • How they qualified: first place in UEFA Group Two qualifying play

Honduras • Previous World Cup appearances: 1 • Best finish: first round (1982) • FIFA world ranking: 38 • How they qualified: third place in CONCACAF qualifying play

Chile • Previous World Cup appearances: 7 • Best finish: third place (1962) • FIFA world ranking: 18 • How they qualified: second place in CONMEBOL qualifying play

World Cup History

About the World Cup

World Cup: RicardoMark J. Terrill/APFormally known as the “FIFA World Cup,” the World Cup is the name of both the quadrennial event itself and the trophy awarded to its winner. The first competition for the cup was organized in 1930 by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and was won by Uruguay, the host country. Held every four years since that time, except during World War II, the competition consists of international sectional tournaments leading to a final elimination event made up of 32 national teams. Unlike Olympic football, World Cup teams are not limited to players of a certain age or amateur status, so the competition serves more nearly as a contest between the world’s best players. Referees are selected from lists that are submitted by all the national associations.

The trophy cup awarded from 1930 to 1970 was the Jules Rimet Trophy, named for the Frenchman who proposed the tournament. This cup was permanently awarded in 1970 to then three-time winner Brazil (1958, 1962, and 1970), and a new trophy called the FIFA World Cup was put up for competition. Many other sports have organized “World Cup” competitions.

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